Impact of agricultural extension service on adoption of chemical fertilizer: Implications for rice productivity and development in Ghana

Given the increasing tension between food production and food demand in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the poor development of the rice sector in Africa, the present paper examines the impact of agricultural extension on adoption of chemical fertilizers and their impact on rice productivity in Ghana. A parametric approach was employed to account for selectivity and endogeneity effects, which most impact studies fail to address. The empirical results reveal that agricultural extension service is endogenous in the chemical fertilizer adoption specification. Our findings show that access to extension services significantly promotes adoption of chemical fertilizer. Access to extension services and adoption of chemical fertilizer exert positive influences on rice productivity. Promoting farmer participation in irrigation schemes and row-planting technologies, facilitating easy access to education and credit facilities, sensitization of female farmers and leasing of farmlands are policy alternatives needed to facilitate adoption of chemical fertilizer and access to extension services, with the goal of enhancing rice productivity and the livelihoods of rice farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Governments and various institutions in Africa should train more extension officers, given the significant impact they have on agricultural technology adoption and productivity. Future studies on adoption of agricultural technologies and access to extension services in developing countries should adopt empirical approaches that account for endogeneity and selectivity effect in order to arrive at the precise magnitude and extent of impacts from productive agricultural technologies and interventions.